Advantages And Disadvantages Of Biodegradation

Introduction:

The term ‘aerobic degradation’ is used in relation to ‘biodegradation’ which involves the breakdown of substances by microorganisms using oxygen. Moreover, the biodegradation is associated to waste management, ecology, and treatment of environmental pollutants using living organisms (bioremediation). Biodegradation is a practical bioremediation technology for pollutants. In aerobic biodegradation, transformation of oxygen to water takes place by microorganisms in the process of converting other substances to simpler components. Toxic compounds are the chemical substances that may be harmful to the environment. These compounds may include petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals (e.g. chromium, mercury, nickel, cadmium, etc), pesticides and aromatic compounds (such as phenols, substituted aromatics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc). Aerobic degradation of toxic compounds can be defined as:

"The breakdown or transformation of toxic compounds into less or non-toxic forms by utilizing oxygen.”

Various industries generate an extensive variety of highly toxic and lethal pollutants, which have led to accumulative hazardous effects on the environment. Effluents of industries usually hold organic compounds that are somewhat resistant to natural degradation and hence persist in the environment. Degradation of such compounds is an essential requirement for making the environment hygienic and pollutant free. Aerobic degradation of some toxic contaminants is described